Farmers Markets: Great Source for Local Produce
p2821_accessible.docx
One of the fastest growing segments of fresh fruit and vegetable sales in Mississippi, as in the rest of the country, is direct marketing.
As opposed to selling wholesale, direct marketing is when a producer sells his or her produce directly to the consumer. This can be via on-farm retail sales, roadside stands, community supported agriculture (CSAs), buying clubs, pick-your-own farms, or farmers markets.
At the end of the summer of 2018, Mississippi had 94 farmers markets. This number represents a sharp increase. In 2000, there were barely a dozen markets statewide. Nearly every county in the state has a market, and there are even a few with two or more. Hinds and Jackson Counties each have four, while Harrison County now has seven!
The prevalence of so many farmers markets in Mississippi is great for consumers because they don’t have to travel very far to find high-quality, locally grown produce. It’s good for growers, too, because it gives them more opportunities to sell their produce. In addition to selling at the closest farmers market to the farm, many growers stagger their selling days by using two or more markets every week.
Farmers Markets Are a Win-Win-Win
Farmers markets, as well as other forms of direct marketing, are a winning proposition for the grower, the consumer, and the community in which they operate.
The advantage of direct marketing for the grower is that the retail sales price received is much higher than the wholesale price at which they would otherwise sell their products. By selling directly to the ultimate consumer, producers avoid the cost of handlers and resellers.
Farmers markets, along with other direct marketing techniques, are also a great benefit to the consumer. Produce spends less time in transportation from the farm to the consumer, so it is much fresher and likely to be richer in vitamins. Most vendors harvest their produce the day before or the morning of the market. Also, prices are often lower at farmers markets than in grocery stores, so consumers can sometimes save money while buying higher-quality produce.
In addition, shopping locally supports your local farmers and impacts the local economy by keeping the money circulating within the community rather than losing it to corporations in other states or countries. According to a 2009 study at Mississippi State University that collected data on 26 farmers markets, total sales by vendors totaled $1.4 million that year. Extrapolating to the 81 markets currently in business, total sales volume is estimated to be more than $4 million.
In addition to the farmer, consumer, and community benefits, buying local decreases “food miles,” or the distance food is transported across the country or from other countries. Reducing food miles is good for the environment because it reduces energy consumption and pollution from fossil fuels used in transportation.
Another less tangible benefit of farmers markets is that consumers can build relationships with the people who grow their food. This helps consumers to get a better picture of how their food is grown, what inputs are used, and whether good agricultural practices (GAPs) are followed.
What Is Local?
“Locally grown” has been a common catch phrase since the early 2000s. People who demonstrate a preference for locally grown food have been referred to as “locavores” since about 2005. But what exactly does local mean in this context?
Local produce might be interpreted to be those fruits and vegetables grown within your own town or county. However, local often means produce from within a specified radius, such as 50 or 100 miles from your point of reference.
Some people use local to refer to anything grown within their state, which may be more than 100 miles away. On the other hand, the specified distance definition previously mentioned may include farms that are located in neighboring states, yet still within the mileage being used.
At the far extreme are definitions used by major grocery store chains. Some of them consider 500 or even 1,000 miles from the store to be local, and some even call any produce grown in the United States local. This definition may be too broad for most applications.
Congress passed H.R. 2419, the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, which includes this definition of local: (I) the locality or region in which the final product is marketed, so that the total distance that the product is transported is less than 400 miles from the origin of the product; or (II) the state in which the product is produced. (See https://www.congress.gov/110/plaws/publ234/PLAW-110publ234.pdf)
For practical purposes, most farmers markets require produce to be locally grown, and the markets consider local to be within the same county or neighboring counties. The inclusion of surrounding counties is often important since there may not be enough local growers within the county to support a farmers market on their own.
The Cost of Eating Right
An Economic Research Service (ERS) study in 2004 concluded that a consumer could meet the recommendation of three servings of fruits and four servings of vegetables per day for 64 cents, which is about 12 percent of the average amount spent on food per person. The study is available at https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/33691/1/ai047924.pdf.
According to nutrition studies, Americans do not even come close to the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables in their diets. One of the barriers may be the perceived higher cost of fresh produce compared to convenient packaged foods.
Actually, although fruits and vegetables may be a dollar to several dollars per pound, each pound provides several servings. Therefore, the ERS analysis demonstrated that servings of fruit ranged from 11 cents (watermelons and apples) to 66 cents (blackberries); vegetables cost from 6 cents (Irish potatoes) to 53 cents (asparagus) per serving. For example, although a pound of peaches may cost a dollar, it provides 4½ servings, which comes to 22 cents per serving.
More than half of all fruits and vegetables were estimated to cost less than 25 cents per serving; 86 percent of all vegetables and 78 percent of all fruits cost less than 50 cents per serving.
Where Are Mississippi’s Farmers Markets?
Following is a list of all the farmers markets that operated in Mississippi in 2018, sorted by county. The indication of “certified” in this list means that the farmers market has been certified by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce as a market with Mississippi farmers selling Mississippi-grown produce.
Adams County
Downtown Natchez Farmers Market
Pop-up On The Bluff
Natchez, MS 39120
Contact: Eddie Burkes
Phone: 662-816-5458
Alcorn County Green Market
Crossroads Museum & Care Garden
Corinth, MS 38834
Contact: Brandy Steen
Phone: 662-287-3120
Corinth Farmers Mark #2
Fulton Drive
Corinth, MS 38834
Contact: Patrick Poindexter
Phone: 662-286-7756
Corinth Farmers Market
Shiloh Road
Corinth, MS 38834
Contact: Patrick Poindexter
Phone: 662-286-7755
Amite County
Amite County Farmers Market
269 Main Street
Liberty, MS 39645
Contact: Jaunita Bates
Phone: 225-235-8279
Attala County
Attala County Farmers Market CERTIFIED
450 Hwy 12 E
Kosciusko, MS 39090
Contact: Kenneth Georgia & Melvin Williams
Phone: 662-312-2891
Benton County
Benton County Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Benton County Courthouse Lawn
Ashland, MS 38603
Contact: Janet Jones
Phone: 662-671-5563
Bolivar County
Shelby Farmers Market
1505 Broadway
Shelby, MS 38774
Contact: Dorothy Grady-Scarbrough
Phone: 662-402-4798
Cleveland Farmers Market CERTIFIED
401 Cotton Row
Cleveland, MS 38732
Contact: Ryan Betz
Cleveland Famers Marekt website
Phone: 662-832-2785
Calhoun County
Throwback Thursdays CERTIFIED
102 Public Square
Bruce, MS 38915
Contact: Theresa Nicks & Trina Griffin
Phone: 662-983-2222
Vardaman Farmers Market
The Side Porch On Main Street
Vardaman, MS 38878
Contact: Tommy Scarbrough
Carroll County
Vaiden Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Vaiden High School Vo-tech Building
Vaiden, MS 39176
Contact: Jan Maddox
Phone: 662-289-4125
Coila Cross Roads Farmers Market
15426 MS Hwy 17
Coila, MS 38923
Contact: Rasheed T. Davis
Phone: 662-237-6062
Chickasaw County
Okolona Farmers Market
Mini Park On Main Street
Okolona, MS 38860
Contact: Louise Cole
Phone: 662-448-9415
Houston Farmers Market
1 Pinson Square
Houston, MS 38851
Contact: Eddie Biggs
Phone: 662-456-2321
Choctaw County
Choctaw County Farmers Market
Corner of Main and Commerce Streets
Ackerman, MS 39735
Contact: Juli Hughes
Phone: 662-285-6337
Claiborne County
The Farmers Market
Corners Of Market & Fair Streets
Port Gibson, MS 39150
Clay County
West Point Farmers Market CERTIFIED
1251 Highway 45 South Alternate
West Point, MS 39773
Contact: Lisa Klutts
West Point Farmers Market Facebook
Phone: 662-494-5121
Coahoma County
Crossroads Farmers Market
1536 Desoto Avenue
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Contact: Samuel Mccray
Crossroads Farmers Market Website
Phone: 662-627-1121
Downtown Farmers Market
326 Blues Alley
Clarksdale, MS 38614
Phone: 662-351-2232
Copiah County
Crystal Springs Farmers Market
West Railroad Avenue
Crystal Springs, MS 39059
Contact: Casey Kitchens
Phone: 601-892-2711
Desoto County
Hernando Farmers Market CERTIFIED
2535 Highway 51 South
Hernando, MS 38632
Contact: Gia Matheny
Hernando Famers Market Website
Phone: 662-429-9092
Olive Branch Old Towne Farmers Market
9200 Pigeon Roost Road
Olive Branch, MS 38654
Contact: Nancy Jones
Phone: 662-893-0888
Forrest County
Pine Belt Community Farmers Market
1009 Rebecca Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Contact: Sylvia Forster
Pine Belt Community Farmers Market Website
Phone: 601-582-0909 or 601-606-8785
Forrest County Farmers Market
Corinne Street
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Contact: Tawnya Crockett
Phone: 601-583-9954 or 601-545-6083
Downtown Hattiesburg Farmers Market
Town Square Park
Hattiesburg, MS 39401
Contact: Monicah Brumfield
Phone: 601-310-9697
George County
Lucedale Farmers Market
Cox Street @ The Courthouse Square
Lucedale, MS
Contact: Brandy Havard
Phone: 601-947-2082
Grenada County
The Grenada MS Farmers Market
Historic Downtown Square
Grenada, MS 38901
Contact: Leslie Moss & Thomas Moss
Phone: 662-809-6222
Harrison County
Gulfport Harbor Farmers Market CERTIFIED
1070 23rd Avenue
Gulfport, MS 39501
Contact: Diane Claughton
Phone: 228-257-2496
D’Iberville Farmers Market
10383 Automall Parkway
D’Iberville, MS 39540
Contact: Patty Ewing
Phone: 228-392-9734
Charles R. Hedgewood Biloxi Farmers Market
Corner Of Howard Ave & Division St.
Biloxi, MS 39530
Contact: Tina Cowart
Phone: 228-388-2443
Long Beach Farmers Market CERTIFIED
208 Pine Street (first UMC Parking Lot)
Long Beach, MS 39560
Contact: Morris Richardson
Phone: 228-257-2496
The Pass Market
103 Fleitas Street
Pass Christian, MS 39503
Contact: Joe Buckley
Phone: 228-297-3040
The Farmers Market At Long Beach CERTIFIED
Town Green
Long Beach, MS 39560
Contact: Monica Morel
Phone: 985-710-3946
Florence Gardens Farmers Market
Magnolia Hall
Gulfport, MS 39503
Contact: Jeff Scrimsher
Phone: 228-343-2626
Hinds County
Utica Mainstreet Farmers Market
Main Street
Utica, MS 39175
Contact: Calvin Williams
Phone: 601-927-0906
Jump Start Jackson Fall Farmers Market
Lake Hico Park
Jackson, MS 39206
Contact: Shamira Lee
Phone: 601-898-0000 Ext. 118
Mississippi Farmers Market CERTIFIED
929 High Street
Jackson, MS 39202
Phone: 601-354-6573
Fresh At Five CERTIFIED
300 Jefferson Street
Clinton, MS 39060
Contact: Anna Boyd Hawks
Phone: 601-924-5472
Holmes County
City Of Lexington Farmers Market
Multipurpose Complex
Lexington, MS 39095
Contact: Algenia Adams
Phone: 662-834-2307
Itawamba County
Itawamba Farmers Market
Cypress Pavilion
Fulton, MS 38843
Contact: John Coggin
Phone: 662-862-3201
Jackson County
Pascagoula Farmers Market
Victory Lot On Pascagoula Street
Pascagoula, MS 39567
Contact: Rebecca Davis
Phone: 228-938-6604
Jackson County Farmers Market
Jackson County Fairgrounds
Pascagoula, MS 39568
Contact: Jim Hart
Phone: 228-762-6043
Ocean Springs Fresh Market CERTIFIED
L&N Depot
Ocean Springs, MS 39564
Contact: Diane Claughton
Website: www.oceanspringsfreshmarket.com
Phone: 228-257-2496
Riverfront Farmers Market CERTIFIED
5120 Main Street
Moss Point, MS 39563
Contact: Shira Stallworth
Phone: 228-475-7887
Jasper County
Bay Springs Farmers Market
Contact: Donald Brown
Phone: 601-670-1523
Jefferson County
Fayette-Jefferson County Farmers Market
1005 Main St.
Fayette, MS 39069
Contact: Iretha Beyah
Phone: 601-392-1311
Jones County
Laurel Farmers Market
North Magnolia Street
Laurel, MS 39441
Contact: Anicia Bonds Hill
Phone: 601-336-2493
Ellisville Farmers Market CERTIFIED
201 Jessamine Street
Ellisville, MS 39437
Contact: Julie G. Laird
Phone: 601-477-3323
Lafayette County
Oxford Community Market
Community Pavillion
University Ave.
Oxford, MS 38655
Contact: Betsy Chapman
Phone: 662-816-7413
Mid-town Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Mid-town Shopping Center
Oxford, MS 38655
Contact: Aileen Bost
Phone: 662-234-3425
Lauderdale County
Meridian Area Farmers Market
Front Street At Union Station
Meridian, MS 39301
Contact: Ronnie Chatham
Phone: 601-644-3698
Earth’s Bounty Farmers Market
1701 Front Street
Meridian, MS 39301
Contact: Laura Carmichael
Phone: 601-485-1944
Lee County
Tupelo Farmers Depot CERTIFIED
415 South Springs Street At Railroad
Tupelo, MS 38802
Contact: Carl Brangenberg
Phone: 662-841-6598 or 662-891-6139
Leflore County
Downtown Greenwood Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Corner Of Johnson & Main Street
Greenwood, MS 38935
Contact: Glen & Beth Stevens
Phone: 662-897-0017 or 662-897-6479
Lincoln County
Brookhaven Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Downtown Brookhaven In Railroad Park
Brookhaven, MS 39601
Contact: Rebecca Bates
Phone: 601-835-3460
Lowndes County
Hitching Lot Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Corner Of 2nd Street And 2nd Avenue North
Columbus, MS 39703
Contact: Katherine Lucas & Tony Rose
Phone: 662-328-6305
Madison County
Downtown Madison Farmers Market CERTIFIED
2103 Main Street
Madison, MS 39130
Contact: Lucy Weber
Phone: 601-853-0291
Livingston Farmers Market
127 Mansdale Road
Madison, MS 39110
Contact: Kellis Moore
Phone: 601-898-0212
Canton Farmers Market
The Depot
Canton, MS 39046
Contact: Toya Veals
Phone: 601-859-5816
Marion County
Marion County Farmers Market
Columbia Water Park
Columbia, MS
Contact: Myndee Moran
Phone: 228-990-9798
Pearl River Market
229 Second Street Downtown
Columbia, MS 39429
Contact: Lori Watts
Phone: 601-736-1170
Marshall County
Holly Springs Farmers Markets
Memphis Street
Holly Springs, MS 38635
Contact: Lemon Phelps
Phone: 662-252-3541
Monroe County
Aberdeen Main Street Farmers Market
East Washington Street
Aberdeen, MS 39730
Contact: Ann Tackett
Phone: 662-319-7183
Neshoba County
Neshoba County Farmers Market
Highway 16 East
Philadelphia, MS 39350
Contact: Harvin Hudson
Phone: 601-656-4602
Choctaw Farmers Market
Blackjack Road
Choctaw, MS 39350
Contact: Gilbert Thompson
Phone: 601-656-2070
Philadelphia Fresh Market @ The Depot
256 West Beacon Street
The Train Depot
Philadelphia, MS 39350
Contact: Greg Warren
Phone: 601-750-0066
Noxubee County
Noxubee County Farmers Market
16295 Highway 45
Macon, MS 39341
Contact: Benny Haynes
Phone: 662-726-9929 or 662-549-1721
Oktibbeha County
Starkville Community Market CERTIFIED
Corner Of Russell & Lampkin Streets
Starkville, MS 39759
Contact: Paige Watson
Website: visit.starkville.org/market
Phone: 662-323-3322
Panola County
Square Market
Downtown Square
Batesville, MS 38606
Contact: Coleen Clark or Mary Troxler
Phone: 662-563-3126
Pearl River County
Poplarville Farmers Market
410 Main Street @ The Town Green
Poplarville, MS 39470
Contact: April Grecho
Phone: 919-280-7411
Pike County
McComb Farmers Market CERTIFIED
212 Railroad Blvd
McComb, MS 39648
Contact: Carolyn Horn
Phone: 410-693-7701
Pontotoc County
Off The Square Market
Corner Of Jefferson & Lafayette Streets
Pontotoc, MS 38863
Contact: David & Ruth Hall
Phone: 662-489-5042
Prentiss County
Prentiss County Farmers Market
2301 North Second Street
Booneville, MS 38829
Contact: Buddy Smith
Phone: 662-728-3946
Quitman County
Quitman County Farmers Market
Roadside Park
Marks, MS 38646
Contact: Michael Anthony
Phone: 662-822-3374
Rankin County
County Seat Farmers Market
Rankin Co. Multi Purpose Pavilion
Brandon, MS 39042
Contact: Ken Sullivan
Phone: 601-825-0162
Scott County
Farmers Market
403 Hill Street
Forest, MS 39074
Contact: Tim Cooper
Sunflower County
Indianola Open Air Market CERTIFIED
Green Space
Indianola, MS 38751
Contact: Maggie Barnes
Phone: 662-887-4454
Tallahatchie County
Charleston Farmers Market
Wellness Center
Charleston, MS 38921
Contact: Catherine Woodyard
Phone: 662-625-7214
Tate County
Tate County Farmers Market
451 Norfleet Drive
Senatobia, MS 38668
Contact: Tarah Ferguson
Phone: 662-562-4274
Coldwater Farmers Market
Town Square
Coldwater, MS 38618
Contact: Linda Mcadory
Phone: 662-288-0572
Tippah County
Ripley Main Street Farmers Market
111 East Spring Street
Ripley, MS 38663
Contact: Jessica Jeter
Phone: 662-512-0226
Tishomingo County
Tishomingo County Farmers Market
1008 Battleground Drive
Iuka, MS 38852
Contact: Danny Owen
Phone: 662-413-7016
Union County
Biscuits And Jam
112 Fairgrounds Circle
New Albany, MS 38652
Contact: Stanley Wise
Phone: 662-534-1916
Walthall County
Tylertown Farmers Market CERTIFIED
116 South Railroad Avenue
Tylertown, MS 39667
Contact: Carolyn Horn
Phone: 410-693-7701
Warren County
Vicksburg Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Corner Of Jackson And Washington Street
Vicksburg, MS 39180
Contact: Rebecca Tarver
Phone: 601-801-3513
Washington County
Leland Farmers Market
Hwy 82 West
Leland, MS 38756
Contact: Robert Neill
Phone: 662-686-2687
Greenville Farmers Market
783 Washington Avenue
Greenville, MS 38701
Contact: Betty Lynn Cameron
Phone: 662-378-3121
Wayne County
Wayne County Farmers Market
609 Azalea Street
Waynesboro, MS 39367
Contact: Ty Sharp
Phone: 601-410-0355
Wilkinson County
Woodville Farmers Market
Courthouse Square
Woodville, MS 39669
Contact: Polly Rosenblatt
Phone: 601-888-7690
Winston County
Winston County Farmers Market CERTIFIED
Louisville Coliseum
Louisville, MS 39339
Contact: Dorothy Jean Harper
Phone: 662-312-8004
Yalobusha County
Water Valley Main Street Farmers Market
Railroad Park – Main Street
Water Valley, MS 38965
Contact: Mickey Howley
Phone: 662-473-6767
Coffeeville Farmers Market
Front Street
Coffeeville, MS 38922
Contact: Allyson Coleman
Phone: 662-675-2730
Note: This list is current as of August 15, 2018. See https://www.mdac.ms.gov/departments/FarmersMarket/markets.php for updates.
For More Information
MSU Extension has several additional publications related to farmers markets. They are available from your local Extension office or as free, downloadable files.
- M2027 Farmers Markets: Good for You and Your Community
- P2959 Growing Your Brand: Developing a Marketing Plan Workbook
- P3126 Local Food System Development in Mississippi: How Local Governments Can Support Farmers Markets
More farmers market information online.
Funds for this project were provided through the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce, USDA Specialty Crop Grant Program.
Publication 2821 (POD-08-18)
By Richard G. Snyder, PhD, Extension/Research Professor, Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center.
Copyright 2018 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Produced by Agricultural Communications.
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Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. GARY B. JACKSON, Director
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